false start

false start

noun

Definition of FALSE START

1

: a premature start (as of a race or football play)

2

: an unsuccessful attempt to begin something (as a career)

Examples of FALSE START

1. If someone makes a false start, the race is immediately stopped and the runners have to start again.
2. After several false starts, the researchers were finally able to identify the virus causing the epidemic.

First Known Use of FALSE START

1815

Rhymes with FALSE START

apart, at heart, bar chart, blackheart, bogart, Bogart, by heart, clip art, crash cart, depart, Descartes, dispart, dogcart, Earhart, eye chart, fine art, flowchart, folk art, forepart, Froissart, go-cart, golf cart, greenheart, handcart, head start, impart, in part, jump-start, junk art, kick-start, mouthpart, Mozart, outsmart, oxcart, oxheart, pie chart, pop art, pushcart, rampart, real part, redstart, restart, street-smart, Stuttgart, sweetheart, take heart, take part, tea cart, time chart, tipcart, tramp art, upstart, voice part